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Lowell man held on $100G in child-rape case

LOWELL-- A Lowell man accused of raping and molesting two young girls then using his cellphone to take nude photos of them was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail during his arraignment Monday.

In Lowell Superior Court, Daniel J. Rhodes, 32, of 1861 Middlesex St., Unit 203, pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of rape and abuse of a child aggravated by age difference (three counts), rape of a child with force (three counts), assault to rape a child (three counts), indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, pose/exhibit child in the nude (two counts) and obscene matter to a minor.

Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald alleges that the two girls, both younger than 11, were visiting Rhodes on Sept. 29 when the oldest girl called her mother and asked to go home. It was then that the girls disclosed the alleged sexual assaults, which may date to 2010.

During his district court arraignment in October, defense attorney Julie Olsen sad Rhodes is a disabled Navy veteran. Olsen said Rhodes denies the allegations, adding Rhodes and his wife are going through an acrimonious divorce.

Judge Heidi E. Brieger ordered Rhodes held on $100,000 cash bail with conditions if he posts bail that he wear a GPS monitoring device, report to probation, refrain from contact with the complaining witnesses and their mother, and have no unsupervised contact with children younger than 16. His next court date is Jan. 31 for a pretrial conference.

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